Why The Teaching Compass?

Before I had my son, I was a teacher, but like many I was disillusioned, not by schools in principle or by the teachers who work so hard because they are dedicated to the children in their care, but by the current system. I knew that education could be so much better than a restricted curriculum tied up in political bureaucracy, assessment and pressure. I knew that I wanted better for my unborn child. Learning is enjoyable and curiosity should be encouraged and built upon in all children. Little ones learn through play and learning makes them happy and confident. Why shouldn’t all children be able to continue to learn in this way? Why can’t learning be inspirational, child led and develop self esteem alongside knowledge? Well of course the answer is that it can.

I have focused on covering the skills from the English National Curriculum so that your child is still learning what their peers are (although you have the flexibility of mixing curriculums from different ages to suit your child’s abilities), however, I have also allowed the learning to be broader; to be able to be redirected by a child’s interests and natural curiosity; to encourage creativity and independence of learning by inspiring your child to want to know more; to develop confident, happy and knowledgable children.

I have ensured that the curriculums are completely flexible to fit in with your family’s timetable and location. They all have approximate completion timings but they can be studied in blocks, or divided up across the weeks. If your child is enjoying their learning why stop them? You can use these curriculums to educate your child solely from home, or as an additional support alongside their attendance at school. You can also use these curriculums if you live abroad or are travelling with your children.

As a teacher, worksheets and text books were not very present in my world and although I find that they have their place and time to be used occasionally on the whole I avoid them. I focus on recording not for the sake of it but where it is useful and I encourage children to develop their own recording systems and presentation styles. There are some worksheets and tables to record results included in my curriculums for your ease but they do not have to be used if your child prefers otherwise.

All of my curriculums are written to allow you to teach your child. You do not need to make additional resources, or spend hours searching the Internet for ideas or activities to complete the learning within the units. In some cases you may need to source additional items, such as arts and crafts if your child chooses that method to present their work, so I recommend that you read through the curriculum beforehand. For text based units, you will need to source a copy of the book. Many should be available from your local library.

10 Things About Me

I live in the South of England with my husband, son and black labrador.

I adore the sea and need to be near it. I feel really landlocked if I am too far away and crave to see it again.

I am a sunshine person. If there is blue sky and sunshine then I am usually happy.

I love to explore new places and hope to travel extensively with my son when he is older. My favourite place in the world is a tiny hamlet (it is barely this) in Western Australia called Coral Bay. It has incredible sunsets, wonderful wildlife and is at the end of a very long dirt track. If you want peace this is where you can find it.

My favourite ever books (there are 2 because I can’t choose between them) are Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Pride and Prejudice.

I once thought that a shark was in the water with my husband so in a state I shouted like crazy to get his attention then mimed shark fins on my back while pointing wildly. He panicked and swam to the edge and scrabbled out on the bank as a dolphin jumped out of the water nearby. The fishermen behind me were on the floor laughing so hard they couldn’t speak.

I love to camp… in hot places only. Where there is nothing poisonous to kill me in my sleep. This isn’t unreasonable though right?!

I tend to flood bathrooms when travelling. This seems to be a bit of an annoying habit. I don’t even know how it happens…

Never go on a boat with me unless you enjoy wild rides. My husband has stopped allowing me to even consider a boat trip because every time I even think about it the storm clouds roll in and the thunder starts clapping with glee.

I can fall over a flat surface and have no spatial awareness. I have fractured both wrists, most of my fingers (netball in the cold is a dangerous sport), my big toe and my ankle. When teaching I often had bruises all around my legs from walking into tables and I am likely to bump into you in a crowd.

Get in Touch

You can email me at contact@theteachingcompass.co.uk for a chat or to ask any questions.

Find me on Social Media – come and say hi and tell me about you and your child and what curriculums you’d like to see on here in the future.

About Me Page Offer

As a thank you for visiting my About Me Page to learn more about myself and The Teaching Compass I would like to give you a special discount of 10% off your next order. You can not use this discount code with any other offer.